Fire-escape.



No. 649,073. Patented May 8, |900.

H. W. RACEY.

'FIRE ESCAPE.

(Application led July 27, 189D.)

(No Model.)

C C A Cf C YNrTED STATES PATENT Fries.

HERBERT WILLIAM RACEY, OF ETCHEMIN, CANADA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 649,073, dated May 8,1900.

Application filed July 27, 1899. Serial No. 725,303. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom zit may concern-.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT WILLIAM RAOEY, a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain, residing at Etchemin, in the county of Levis, in theProvince of Quebec, Canada, have invented a new and useful Fire-Escape,of which the following is a specification.

- My invention relates to improvements in fire-escapes; and the objectof the invention is to provide a simple, compact, and easily-V portabledevice whereby in case of ire any one descending from a window in ahotel or other building can regulate the speed and in sure a 'safedescent; and it consists, essentially, of a suitable casing, preferablysubstantially rectangular and provided with a system of ve pulleys, twoof which form the brake for the rope, which passes between the oppositepulleys and partially around a central third pulley, the brake-pulleysbeing provided wit'h a suitable operating device designed to beregulated by the hand of the person descending, two friction-rollersbeing also secured to the bottom of the box on each side of the rope andthe parts being otherwise constructed and arranged in detail ashereinafter explained.

- Figure l is a perspective view of my fireescape complete, showing itin position on the guide-rope. Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective detailof the speed-regulating casing with the casing in section and theoperative parts in full. i Fig. 3 is a section of the speed-regu# latingcasing.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding partsin each figure.

A is the speed-regulating casing, and B the rope which passes throughholes ci d in the top and bottom thereof.'

C, D, E, F, and G are grooved pulleys located Within the casing andhaving their spindles c, d, e, f, and g journaled in the sides of thecasing. The spindles of the pulleys D, E,'and G are journaled in theordinary way in the sides of the casing, and the pulley E is situatedcentrally in the casing between the top pulleys C and D and the bottompulleys vF and G. The pulleys C and F are located opposite the pulleys Dand G, respectively, and the spindles c and f of these pulleys arejournaled in slots d' and a2, respectively, at each side of the casing,so as to permit-of these pulleys having movement to and from the pulleysD and G. The spindles c and f of the pulleys C and F also extend throughthe forked ends 71, and h of the bar H, which is located in the interiorof the casing, as indicated.

I is a screw-spindle, the inner end of which It will be noticed that therope B passes in I a somewhat-serpentine course between the v pulleys Cand D, partially around the pulley E, and between the pulleys F and G.By operating the hand-wheel J the pulleys O and F may be brought nearerto or farther from vthe pulleys D and G, respectively, so as to exert agreater or less frictional pressure upon the rope, as desired.

vC', D', F', and G' are the minor grooved pulleys, which are journaledon the the spindles c, d, f, and g, respectively, and E' and E2 aregrooved pulleys journaled on the central spindle e. v f

K is an endless rope passing over the pulleys C', D', F', and G', suchrope being crossed to pass over the pulleys E' and E2, as indicated.

L is a hook suitably secured at the bottom looped end of the rope K andsupporting by means of the metal loop Zthe belt or band M, having aU-shaped saddle-strap m. This belt or band M and saddle-strap isdesigned to support the weight of the person whois escaping from theburning building. Such person may grasp the hand-wheel J at one side ofthe casing A and the handle J', secured to the opposite side of thecasing. By manipulating the hand-Wheel J the person descending may brakehis descent on the rope by bringing the pulleys C and F closer to thepulleys D and G, respectively, so as to exert a more or less frictionalgrip upon the rope and thus serve as an eectual brake to check thetoo-rapid descent of the person, and the weight of the person also beingexerted upon the rope K will on account of thc course the IOO ` thespindle o3 of the grooved roller-0.

rope follows around the minor pulleys serve to bring the pulleys C and Fmore closely to the pulleys D and G, thus automatically effectuating thesame purpose as the manipulation of the hand-Wheel J.

0 is the grooved roller, journaled in a suitable forked bracket o,secured to the bottom of the casing at one side of the rope. O is asuitable roller journaled in the fork o', forming part of the bracketo2, situated at the opposite side of the hole a. P is a ring of rope orother suitable material through which the rope B extends and which isfastened in the double hook L; j) are cords fastened to the flexiblering P and extending through the rings p', fastened to each side of thecasing A and connected to the ends of It will be seen from theconstruction and arrangement of these rollers that the weight of aperson in the belt M will pull on the cordsp and thereby bring thepivotally-swung roller O toward the lstationary roller 0, therebytending` further to produce a frictional grip upon the rope simply bythe Weight of the person and without the exercise of' any manipulatingof the operating parts hereinbefore described. I do not contend that thefrictional grip of these rollers Will be sufficient, but it is avaluable auxiliary to the brake hereinbefore described, and by thecombination I am enabled to produce an efficient and sate device wherebya person may be taken from a burning building with the greatestfacility.

As the rope B may be stretched out any desired distance from thebuilding, it will be seen that the parties descending in such a casewill be in much less danger of being burned than in other devicespreviously used.

Vhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In combination, the casing, aplurality of pairs of rollers journaled therein, the rope guided betweenthe rollers, the belt and means independent of said rope controlled bythe weight carried by said belt for controlling the relative position ofthe rollers of each pair for frictionally gripping the rope,substantially as described.

2.' The combination with the supportingbelt and saddle-strap and theguiding-rope, of a casing, means for supporting the band from the same,the top and bottom fixed pulleys at one side of the rope passing throughthe casing, the centrally-arranged pulley at the same side, the upperand lower pulleys having the spindles supported in slots in the casingand means for adjusting such pulleys in relation to the xed pulleys asand for the purpose specified.

3. The combination with the supportingm belt and saddle-strap and theguiding-rope, of a casing, means for supporting the band from the' same,the top and bottom fixed pulleys at one side of the rope passing throughthe casing, the centrally-arranged pulley at the same side, the upperand lower pulleys having the spindles supported in slots in the casing,the bar provided with forked ends through which the spindles bf theadjustable pulleys extend and means for manipulating such bar as and forthe purpose specified.

il. The combination with the supporting- 'ing through the casingprovided with a handwheel and suitably held in the bar as and for thepurpose specified.

5. The combination with the supportingbelt and saddle-strap and theguiding-rope extending through the casing, of the five pulleys journaledas specified and through which the rope extends, the minor pulleyssituated on the spindles of these pulleys and the endless rope passingover the same and the hook and. loop connecting the endless rope to theband as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination with the supportingbelt and saddle-strap and theguiding-rope extending through the casing,- of the five pulleys journaled as specified and through which the rope extends, the minorpulleys situated on the spindles of these pulleys and the endless ropepassing over the same, the connec-i tion between the endless rope andthe band, the roller journaled in a stationary bracket at one side ofthe rope and the roller journaled in the pivoted forked portion of thebracket on the opposite side of the rope, the flexible ring connected tothe band and through which the main rope extends and means connected tothe piVotally-swung roller and the band to cause such roller to bebrought against the rope when the weight of the person is upon the bandas and for the purpose specified.

7. The combination with the supportingbelt and saddle-strap and theguiding-rope extending through the casing, of the five pulleys journaled as specified and through which the rope extends, the minorpulleys situated on the spindles of these pulleys and the endless ropepassing over the same, the connection between the endless rope and theband, the roller journaled in a stationary bracket at one side of therope and the roller journaled in the pivoted forked portion of thebracket on the opposite side of the rope, the flexible ring connected tothe band and through which the main rope extends, and the cordsconnected at one end to the spindlcs of the pivotally-swung rollerpassing througheyes in the casing and connected at the opposite end tothe fiexible ring through which the rope extends as and for the purposespecified.

IOO

belt, the easing, and the guiding-rope extend- Signed at Etchemin,Canada, this 24th day in gtherethrough, of the five pullleysj ournaledof July, 1899.

as specified and through Whic the rope eX- tends, the n1ino1I pulleyssituated on the axles HERBERT WILLIAM RACEY' of these pulleys, and theendless rope passing Witnesses:

over the same and connected to the bandas JOSEPH ARTHUR DES ROCHEs, andfor the purpose specified. GUGY RYLAND

